Serengeti & Ngorongoro Experience - Independent

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Starting at your lodge located on the edge of this enormous caldera, you’ll venture to the depths of this wildlife hotbed before heading to Serengeti National Park, home to the Masai people and an incredible spectrum of wildlife.

Independent Experiences
Independent travel, without the stress. Peregrine’s Independent Experiences are a range of short packages that you can add to other Experiences or as an extension to a longer tour, to craft your perfect holiday itinerary. Independent Experiences are for 1-3 travellers, depart daily and offer the back-up of Peregrine, our local offices and expert resident guides.

Serengeti & Ngorongoro Experience - Independent

Starting at your lodge located on the edge of this enormous caldera, you’ll venture to the depths of this wildlife hotbed before heading to Serengeti National Park, home to the Masai people and an incredible spectrum of wildlife.

Independent Experiences
Independent travel, without the stress. Peregrine’s Independent Experiences are a range of short packages that you can add to other Experiences or as an extension to a longer tour, to craft your perfect holiday itinerary. Independent Experiences are for 1-3 travellers, depart daily and offer the back-up of Peregrine, our local offices and expert resident guides.

Why we love this trip

Discover the lush wildlife-filled landscape of Ngorongoro Crater with game drives in this ‘Garden of Eden’ – without doubt one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders.

Enjoy incredible panoramic sunset views from a lodge on the rim of an extinct volcano.

Stay in a camp in the heart of Tanzania's oldest national park, the Serengeti. Explore timeless East Africa where endless savanna, bursting with predators and prey, offers the ultimate safari experience.

Enjoy the benefits of a fully comprehensive itinerary but with the freedom and intimacy of an independent trip, and the convenience of included game drives and local guides.

Is this trip right for you?

Accommodation in the Serengeti is in permanent tented camps on the savanna. Despite the canvas walls, they offer many the comforts of a hotel, including en suite facilities and windows, all surrounded by the sights and sounds of the Serengeti.

The rim of the Ngorongoro crater can reach up to 7,500 feet in altitude, which means you should be prepared for possible signs of altitude sickness.

Although this is an Independent Experience, your game drives within the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater will be by necessity shared game drives. You will be accompanied by other guests of the lodge.

Our Independent Experiences have been designed for just one to three people, departing every day of the week for most Experiences. You can mix and match to create your perfect trip combination, then we’ll arrange the transport between each experience for you. You will have local guides at most destinations and activities. It’s independent travel without the stress.

Welcome to Tanzania. This Independent Experience starts at Kilimanjaro Airport where you will be met and transferred to your lodge by a Peregrine representative. Please arrive before 2pm so you will have time to transfer to Karatu (approximately 4-5 hours drive). The rest of the day is free for your leisure. Your farmhouse for the next two nights is located in a small town down the road from the Ngorongoro Crater. Millions of years ago, the eastern side of the African continent started to crack and slide away, leading to the formation of giant volcanoes – one of which was Ngorongoro. It’s estimated that it once rivalled Kilimanjaro in size, and then the lava ‘lid’ collapsed, forming the giant crater (8,280 square kilometres) that you can see today. The ash from the volcano created fertile soil that encouraged rich savanna grasslands, which now support the largest herds of hoofed animals in the world. This of course attracts numerous predators and birdlife. In the late afternoon be sure to take in incredible vistas as the sun sets over the crater.

Accommodation

Ngorongoro Farmhouse or similar (1 night)

Meals Included

Today you will explore the world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater, widely regarded as a microcosm of natural habitats in Africa and often touted as a veritable Garden of Eden. Within this crater lies so many types of ecosystem, including riverine forests, open plains, freshwater and alkaline lakes. The scenery is spectacular as you descend almost 600 metres down to the crater floor. There is every chance you will see a considerable variety of wildlife in this compact area – hopefully you'll see some or all of the 'big five' creatures that rule here. Animals within the Ngorongoro Crater are less shy of people and safari vehicles, so it's easier to see them up close. The Masai are permitted to water their cattle at the permanent lake and can be seen leading their animals in and out of the crater. The most commonly seen animals are the lion, wildebeest, zebra, eland, bushbuck, cheetah, jackal, buffalo, Grant's gazelle and Thompson's gazelle. You may even catch a glimpse of the highly endangered black rhinoceros. In the afternoon you will leave the crater and return to the lodge for a second night. (National park regulations stipulate that vehicles are only allowed a maximum of six hours in Ngorongoro Crater.) The late afternoon can be spent relaxing at the farm house.

Notes: Today's total driving time is approximately 7 hours.

Accommodation

Ngorongoro Farmhouse or similar (1 night)

Included Activities

Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game drive

Meals Included

This morning you will leave the crater and drive to the Serengeti National Park. Enjoy a game drive on your way to your accommodation, watching the landscape change within the park from the vast treeless central plains to thick scrub and forest in the north. Linking these areas is the savanna, dotted with acacia trees and magnificent rock outcrops. You may visit the Simba Kopjes, an outcrop favoured by lion and cheetah as high perches and a place to hide their cubs, and they can often be seen basking in the morning sun on top. (Simba is Swahili for lion and kopje Afrikaans for ‘little head’). You’ll stop for a picnic lunch on the drive from Ngorongoro Conservation area to the Serengeti National Park. Along the way you will have the option to visit Olduvai Gorge, a site famous for the discovery of human ancestor remains that provide the most continuous known record of human evolution during the past 2 million years. The next two nights are spent in a safari camp that’s at the heart of the park but away from the crowds: Kati Kati mobile tented camp. Meru-style tents are a great place to relax at the end of the day with their big beds, table, clothes rack, sink, shower and a toilet. The camp has a comfortable lounge area, and a cosy mess tent located in the centre of the camp where meals are served. The campfire is ready every evening for appetizers before dinner. It's also eco-friendly, with solar power.

Notes: Today’s total driving time is approximately 7 hours, including game drives.

Accommodation

Kati Kati Tented Camp or similar (1 night)

Included Activities

Serengeti National Park - Game drive

Meals Included

The ‘Endless Plains’ of the Serengeti span some 14,700 square kilometres and capture the essence of Africa, with their main claim to fame the 3 million or so animals that make their home here. Massive numbers of grazing animals and various predators can be seen – wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, lion, cheetah, warthog, hyena, hippo and ostrich – and the interaction between the many species often provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the world. Today you will start around sunrise for a morning game drive and follow that up later on with an afternoon game drive, as the animals tend to be more active in the cooler hours of the day. You will usually return to camp during the hotter hours in the middle of the day, where you will enjoy a hearty meal, relax and maybe take a siesta. Depending on wildlife movements and opportunities for sightings, the drive may continue through lunch and last all day. In this case, you will return to the lodge in the late afternoon.

Accommodation

Kati Kati Tented Camp or similar (1 night)

Included Activities

Serengeti National Park - Game drive

Meals Included

This morning you’ll enjoy your final sunrise game drive to soak up the memorable Serengeti National Park vistas, before returning to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) via Arusha. Any flights out of the Kilimanjaro or Arusha airports should not be booked prior to 5pm. Should you wish to depart from Arusha Airport (ARK), a transfer can be booked (at an additional cost). Please contact your booking agent to arrange.

Notes: Approximately 6 hours driving today; game drive times may vary.

Meals Included

Breakfast

Included Activities

Meals

4 breakfasts,
3 lunches,
4 dinners

Transport

4WD vehicle

Accommodation

Farmstay (2 nights),
Permanent tented camp (2 nights)

Included Activities

Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game drive

Serengeti National Park - Game drive

Meals

4 breakfasts,
3 lunches,
4 dinners

Transport

4WD vehicle

Accommodation

Farmstay (2 nights),
Permanent tented camp (2 nights)

Included Activities

Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game drive

Serengeti National Park - Game drive

Days

5

Price from

Starting at your lodge located on the edge of this enormous caldera, you’ll venture to the depths of this wildlife hotbed before heading to Serengeti National Park, home to the Masai people and an incredible spectrum of wildlife.

Independent Experiences
Independent travel, without the stress. Peregrine’s Independent Experiences are a range of short packages that you can add to other Experiences or as an extension to a longer tour, to craft your perfect holiday itinerary. Independent Experiences are for 1-3 travellers, depart daily and offer the back-up of Peregrine, our local offices and expert resident guides.

Meryl Etwell

This trip was amazing and very special, but be prepared for dusty and bumpy roads. Try to learn some of the local language, the guides and staff at the lodges are delighted to help. Do ask for Isaya Emanuel as your guide, you won't be disappointed.

Review submitted 25 Sep 2015

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Important notes

INDEPENDENT EXPERIENCE ACTIVITIES:
Please note that lodge based activities on your Independent Experience will be on a join in basis. This means that these activities may be shared with other guests at the property.

FLIGHTS:
As an arrival transfer is included, please ensure the correct details are provided to Peregrine prior to your departure. A representative will then meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport on arrival. On the final day of the tour, you will be dropped off at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in the early afternoon. Please ensure you do not book your departure flight out of Kilimanjaro Airport prior to 5pm. Should you wish to depart from Arusha Airport (ARK), a transfer can be booked (at an additional cost). Please contact your Travel Agent to arrange.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.